The Resident Chief State Attorney attached to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Masindi, Charles Bogere Bwiso has been arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala and charged with corruption.
Bwiso, a resident at Fortunate Guest House in Masindi municipality, Masindi district has been arraigned in court together with detective Sergent Rehema Kunihira, a police officer who is a resident in Masindi police barracks.
The duo appeared before court presided over by the Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro who read to them two counts of corruption.
Court heard that the duo on March 3rd, 2022 in performance of their public functions solicited for a gratification of 1.5 million shillings from the relatives of Joseph Arinaitwe, a defilement suspect to have the case file disposed off and set him free.
The court also heard that the duo in performance of their duties accepted 1 million shillings in exchange for closure of the said file. The State Attorney Abigail Agaba informed court that investigations into the case are still ongoing.
But Bwiso and Kunihira have denied the charges and through their lawyers led by Tony Tumukunde and Ben Kiprotich, asked to be released on bail on grounds that the offenses against them are bailable by court and that it’s their constitutional right to apply for bail. Court heard that the accused persons have substantial sureties and they presented their relatives and friends including civil servants as their sureties.
Bwiso pleaded that he is suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure and should be granted bail.
In response, the State Attorney Harriet Angom informed court that she had looked at the documents presented by sureties and they are substantial. She added that since it’s their right to apply for bail, she had no objection to grant bail.
Consequently, the Chief Magistrate Aciro granted them a cash bail of 600,000 shillings each and directed their sureties to execute bond forms of 40 million shillings not cash. She adjourned the case to April 12th 2022 for mention.
Trouble for Bwiso and Kunihira started when they reportedly demanded for three million shillings from relatives of Arinaitwe to dispose of the defilement case against them.
As a result, it is alleged that the family negotiated and settled to pay 1.5 million shillings to them. However that after being frustrated, they decided to alert the State House Anti-Corruption Unit which gave them 1 million shillings to take to the accused persons. The said money was photocopied and it’s serial numbers recorded before the family took the money to Bwiso who was later caught red handed with the money in question on Thursday last week.
The duo was later arrested and brought to Kampala to face trial.
Meanwhile, the Anti Corruption Court Principal Grade One Magistrate Moses Nabende has remanded the Executive Director of Hope for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Uganda to Kitalya prison for embezzlement of 592million shillings meant for implementation of the project activities.
Innocent Ndagijimana has been remanded till March 24th, 2022 when he will be appearing to be formally charged.
It is alleged that between 2011 and 2020 at Hope for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Uganda offices in Kisoro district, Ndagijimana being a founder member of the said project stole 592,237,764 shillings, that belonged to the organisation.